Of birmingham



7 2Sheets-Sheet1: G. L. ASTON &-A. HAMES; Machine for theManufacture'oflBu-ttons".

Patented-May. 25, I880.

sheets -sheet- 2. G. L, ASTON8v ALHAMESF v Machine for theManufacture'of Buttons. No. 228,017.

Patented May 25, I880.-

lrov/ereors.

NJEYEHS, PHOTO-LITHGGRAPHER. WASYHNG'TON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,017, dated May 25,1880.

Application filed January 21, 1880. Patented in England April 30, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE LITTLETON ASTON and ARTHUR HAMES, ofBirmingham, England, have invented new and useful Improvements inMachines for the Manufacture of Buttons, which improvements are alsoapplicable to other similar purposes. These im-' provements are fullyset forth in the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation. Fig. 3 is a plan; Fig. 4, a sectional elevation on line L M.Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on line N 0. Fig. 6 is a sectionalelevation on line P Q, and Fig. 7 is a sectional plan on line B S.

We construct a machine having a revolving table, A, fitted with anyconvenient number of dies, (1. a a, in which part of the material isplaced for making the buttons. Above the table A we have a revolvingfeeder, B, supplied with the holes 11, into which other portions of thematerials for making the buttons are placed. Motion is imparted to thisfeeder B from the main shaft 0 by the eccentric D, through the lever cand rocking spindle d, to the lever 6, carried at the opposite end,which gives a reciprocating motion to the draw-bar E. This draw-barEcarries the pawlf, working into the ratchet-wheel F, which is hung uponthe spindle G, carrying the feeding-table B. This spindle G transmitsits motion to the table A in the ratio of two to one through the toothedwheels H and J. The vertical slide K works above these tables, carryingsuitable tools, g, h, and Z, and is reciprocated by the connecting-rod Tfrom the end of the main shaft.

The'plunger g presses the material or part of the material for makingthe button through the feeding-table B into the receiving-die or mold,which is then directly under the plunger g. The table is then movedround one notch in thedirection of the arrow on the plan, Fig. 3, whenthe spring tool h comes down and brings the material into a more or lessfinished form, when the table is again moved round and the buttonfinished under the die 1. Pressure is imparted to both sides of thebutton when under the tools h and Z from the under side by the rods 10and q. worked through the levers 1' and s and rocking shaft t and u fromthe eccentrics o and w, thus finishing the button by a succession ofmotions, which may be more or less in number, according to the natureand quality of the button or other similar article at the time in hand.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the'bed with the table A removed, showing a circularfillet ending with the inclines j and is. Fig. llis a crosssection ofthe bed.

Now, as the table A continues to move, the finished button is carriedover the inclined plane j, and as each of the twenty or other number ofdies is fitted with a loose piston, 41, (shown on the full-sizedsection, Fig. 10,) the button is lifted out of the die.

We can take the buttons from the top of the dies either by hand or bythe machine. If by the latter, we fix a bracket, V, to the slide K,which carries the split tube m, picking off the buttons and deliveringthem through the pipe n. The elasticity of the tube m, for griping thebutton, is assisted by the elastic band 0,

stretched over the lower end of the tube.

The two tablesA and B are secured in their respective positions whilethe buttons are being made by the locking draw-bar a: m, actuated by thecross-shaft Yfrom the face-eccentric orprojection disk-plate 3 takinginto the notched disks W and X. The number of notches correspond withthe number of dies or holes in the feeders, and thus both the tables arelocked in a set position during the movements of the plungers in makingthe buttons.

Fig. 9 is the nut for holding the dies in place, as shown at 3, Fig. 3,of which any convenient number may be used. Instead of using the toolsg, h, and l, we sometimes substitute the double sliding tool shown atFigs. 12 and 13, where the tools Z and z are brought alternately overthe dies by a suitable eccentric. In this case the slide K makes twostrokes to one movementof the table A. We also use a horizontsl slideinstead of the table B to feed the dies when more convenient.

In making some classes of buttons we may place the material direct intothe dies orrecesses in the lower table, A, and in other cases we mightuse a second feeding-table or second slide. The ratio of speeds may alsobe varied of the tables to each other and of the vertical slide to thetables, so that by these and similar means We are enabled to producecompound buttons much more rapidly than formerly 5 but 5 we would haveit clearly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precisedetails of these plans; but

We do claim as our invention- 1.. In a machine for making buttons, arevolving table provided with a number of dies, as set forth, incombination with a revolving feeder and one or more plungers forcompressing the material in the dies, as described.

2. The combination, in a button-machine, of the revolving table A,having a series of dies, a a, the revolving feeding-table, and one ormore under plungers, p q, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the tables A B, the slide K and dies 9 h l, asset forth.

4. In combination with the tables A B, having dies or receptacles forthe material to be formed into buttons, a series of upper and lowerplungers for compressing and finishing the buttons, as set forth.

5. In combination with the tables A B, having dies and plungers. as setforth, the arm V, provided with the resilient gri 'iing and dischargingdevice m 0, as described.

6. In combination with the tables A B, provided with dies and plungers,as set forth, mechanism for imparting to the said tables a coincidentrevolving motion and for lock-.

ing them when the dies and plungers are brought into properjuxtaposition, as set forth. In testimony that we claim the foregoing asour own We affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE LITTLETON ASTON. ARTHUR HAMES.

Witnesses:

JOHN HILL, CHARLES RICHARDSON.

